Winter in Winnipeg: 5 things to do in the land of snow and ice

Culture & Entertainment

Winter in Winnipeg: 5 things to do in the land of snow and ice

I'm heading back to Winnipeg, my beloved hometown, in a week's time, and I'm looking forward to doing all of the traditional things that a Winnipegger must do over the holidays. Naturally, while checking off my To Do list, I'll be listening to the Weakerthans' "One Great City" (also known as "I Hate Winnipeg") and laughing to myself because I
love Winnipeg. So much. Seriously, is it possible to love a place more than I love Winnipeg? I don't think it is. Here's my rundown of what I'll be doing after I hit up the tarmac of the Winnipeg International Airport:
(Probably, I'll be caught behind one of these guys at some point.) 1. For a lot of Winnipeggers, watching the
Royal Winnipeg Ballet's production of
The Nutcracker is a holiday must. This particular version is set in Canada and features hockey on a frozen pond. The performance runs Dec. 19 to Dec. 29 and I will be there humming along. Tickets range from $25 to $103. 2. If you're in Winnipeg, you have to go to a
Jets hockey game. Though I wear my Jets T-shirt and toque out of solidarity for my home team, I have yet to see them play a game at the MTS Centre. I hang my head in shame and plan to put an end to this embarrassment tout suite. Home games are on Dec. 19, 26 and Jan. 6, 10 and 13. 3. I plan to stuff my face with mini donuts and rent a pair of beat up old skates for $5 at
The Forks. There is a little rink with lights over it that I might stick to, but there's also the river trail which is huge and long. 4. Christian Marclay's
The Clock, a 24-hour series of film clips that explore the wonder of cinema, is currently playing at the
Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG). My mom is an artist and insists we go at midnight because it's the best time... so I guess you'll find me at the WAG at midnight on New Year's Eve. The exhibit runs until Jan. 5. The last date for the full 24-hour screening is 6 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 6 p.m. on Jan. 1. Admission is $12. 5. The theatre community in Winnipeg is pretty small and some peeps that I know are staging a production of
Such Creatures by Judith Thompson. They're pretty talented people, so I think I'm going to make an appearance. The show runs Jan. 2 to 5 at Prairie Theatre Exchange's Colin Jackson Theatre. Tickets are $15.
Photo by AJ Batac on Flickr